Protests 2. October 2012: The opening of the Folketing and the 40. anniversary of the referendum about Danish membership of EEC (EU)

roede_faner_arbejdsret2 — Labour union banners in front of the Labour Court: The employers and blue bloc want to have pickets ruled illegal – Krifa [2] – The Christian Trade Union (read: unchristian anti-trade union) – has referred the picket of 3F [3] , the picket of Vejlegaarden [4], to the court.

Photo reportage: Kommunistisk Politik

Thousands demonstrated and protested at the opening of the Folketing the 2. October on the 40. anniversary of the fateful referendum on Danish membership of EU. In Copenhagen there was a protest in front of the Labour Court and in a great demonstration from the City Hall Square to Christiansborg [1]. Also in Aarhus there was a protest meeting.

[1] Residence of legislature

[2] Danish “labour union” which doesn’t have members but costumers, and which doesn’t use strikes, but provides councelling.

[3] A “normal” labour union. Most members are in industry, transport, and building.

[4] A Danish restaurant that made a deal with Krifa instead of 3F (a worser deal), and therefore 3F initiated a conflict against it. 29. November the Court said that 3F has the right to conflict against Vejlegården. Two parties from the blue bloc [openly bourgeois bloc] declared that they wanted to ban unions from conflicting against employers who already had agreements with another union.

arbejdsret3_th — The protest in front of the Labour Court

apk_arbejdsret — APK-poster at the Labour Court [5]

[5] It says “Neither “Red” or Blue bloc. – Not to the budget law for 2013. – Stop the impairments of welfare! – Create workplaces and jobs! [A list of demands] – Fight the unemployment – not the unemployed and ill! – Welfare to all! Let the rich pay the crisis!

Demo at the City Hall Square, Copenhagen, with the following specific demands

Stop the impairments of the unemployment benefits!

Traineeships for all!

No deterioration of flexible jobs [6] and disability pension!

Decent living conditions for all on state education grants and “cash benefit [7]”.

[6] Special jobs for people, that are unable to have a ”normal” job.

[7] Kontanthjælp. Transfer income to people who cannot provide for themselves and/or their families. E.g. after two years of unemployment, where the right to the higher unemployment benefits ends.

claus_jansson_raadhuspladsen — Claus Jansson spoke at the City Hall Square about the resistance against the government’s planned disability pension- and flexible jobs-reform – and the link with EU on the 40. anniversary of the Danish referendum in 1972

The leader of FOA [8] Dennis Kristensen said among other things:

”The crisis is being used as a pretext to implement a total careening of the Danish welfare model…

The disability retirement reform, the flexible jobs reform, the tax reform, the reform of the unemployment benefits of the former government, and the now postponed cash benefit reform has a common trait: The labour supply must be increased. Working must pay off.

Sometimes I think the thought that the backside of the expression that working should pay off, surely must be that not working must be punished? We are in any case well underway with creating a new form of A- and B-teams.

An A-team with jobs that must be nursed by the society, and a B-team that doesn’t have jobs because of unemployment, disease, handicap, age, and who must feel both in everyday life and on the standard of life, that they are a burden on the rest of us

It is a perhaps creeping, but not for that reason less sinister development. We simply ought to be ashamed of ourselves.

And it is by no means fair, decent, or responsible.”

[8] Union for mostly public employees.

raadhuspladsen_rap — Rap on the City Hall Square

docker — Dockers on the City Hall Square

m_frederiksen_jesus1 — Sign on the City Hall Square [9]

[9] It says ”Mette Frederiksen [Social-democratic minister of employment] is the new Jesus – She heals the sick and disabled with work!”

raadhuspladsen_view2 — A good amount of people on the City Hall Square

apk_kbh — We demand Work – Unemployment benefits – Traineeships [10]

[10] On the “smaller side” of the red sign it says “APK Copenhagen”, on the “larger side” it says what also stands under the picture. On the yellow sign it says “A wage to live by – Unemployment benefits – Traineeships – Job”

jan_jensen_chrb — Jan Jensen from ”Ill in Svendborg” [11] speaks at Christiansborg

stop_fleks_chrb — Stop the reform of flexible jobs!

[11] “Syg i Svendborg”. Organization for long-time ill and disabled in Svendborg.

jesper_chrb — Jesper Juul Mikkelsen from the initiative of 2. October [12] at Christiansborg

[12] The main organizers of the protest.

rodt_flag__chrb — Red flag crossing Christiansborg

fri_galakse_1 — Fri Galakse: Powerful songs against blue and ”red” reaction

chrb_horsens — Christiansborg also had visits from Horsens – and many other towns around the country

per_clausen — As the only of the three ”labour parties” in the ”red bloc” that was invited to speak at the demonstration, the Unity List [13] turned up with Per Clausen as its representative

[13] Enhedslisten. Revisionist party which supports the government. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-Green_Alliance_%28Denmark%29

fremtidsfighter — The Fremtidsfighterne [14] were there too, of course.

[14] Can be translated as “Fighters for the future”. It is an organization of young people, who e.g. protest in front of working places, which doesn’t want to make good collective agreements, and generally fight against the dumping of wage- and labour standards.

arbejdsgivere_agitprop — The employers were represented by an agitprop troup – that speaks for itself [15]

[15] An ironic group called “0F”, the name is a parody on “3F”, a Danish trade union. The left sign on the lower picture says “What do you need leisure for, when you cannot afford golfing?”